Dario's Sylvester Site    

If you have REAL AUDIO G2 double click to hear a 15 seconds low radio quality sample of BE WITH YOU

If you have REAL AUDIO G2 double click to view a 30 second Video of You Make Me Feel

 

After moving up to the Bay Area from L.A. in the late 60's ... Sylvester actually performed in a piano bar as a woman. Eventually he formed Sylvester & the Hot Band. One track was included in a compilation, then in 1972 Blue Thumb/ABC released "Scratch my flower". The flower sticker has a smell. The music is Rock and roll...not dance. It's speeded up Bluessy sound. It's full of cover versions of the likes of Niel Young and Ray Charles Sylvester & the Hot Band "Scratch my Flower"

The follow up was BAZAAR. Same type of Rock and Roll with sylvesters high falsetto over it... except this time theres more original songs on it. ... including "Friendship". Theres also a cover of the James Taylor song "Don't let me be lonely tonight"

Syl goes to Europe for a while and comes back. They get signed because motown producer Harvey Faqua came to see background singer Martha Wash performing... The result was "sylvester" 1977 Fantasy. Not Dance music either... however its no longer the rock and roll of the Hot Band days... Its more soul influenced ... for example the single is "Over and Over" which is an Ashford and Sympson song. Killer mix of energetic blues ... gospel chanting and Big band Brass in "Down Down Down".

Notes: Next Up came Step II in 1978. the first Single was Dance (Disco Heat). The difference was that now they had added to the equation Patrick Cowley and his synthesizers ... He was so advanced for his times... with his self made electronic instruments. European Disco sound influence was kicking in... The single became a hit (its writen by his piano player Eric Robinson and mostly sung by The two tons o fun - i.e Martha Wash)

  with the Two Tons O'fun

7" Picture Sleave released in Spain only I think the picture sleave is taken by someone from the spanish record company. Notes: You make me Feel Mighty Real was co-written with his guitar player and incredible songwitter (later to become very important in Sylvester's carrear) James Wirrick. The initial ballad was placed over a disco beat...and Patrick Cowley added killer synths over it (were talking 1978...and the masterpiece exploded to the top 40

1979 brought the lp "Stars". The ?album? contained only 4 songs. But each where like 8 minutes long. It has incredible percussion work. The song "Stars" with its slap bass ... would announce in a way the comming of High Energy in the 80's Stars was a 4 track LP . I like the sleave picture. It's very excited. Patrick Cowley wrote Stars as a theme for a party...but the song was rejected. There are 2 different versions of this album. with different mixes.

It also included a cool picture in the inner sleave

The next album was the Double live album recorded in San Franciscos Opera House "Living Proof". Has been re-issued by Fantasy on cd...but it does not include the studio tracks that were released as single: "Can't stop dancing"

Notes: With disco not getting radio adds anymore Sylvester tried to do an R&B style lp...and it was a very good record...with "I need YOU" and "I'll dance to that". Actually the lp is danceable...but no patrick cowley on this one ...very little marth wash too. As sales were dropping for the next lp Fantasy tried to fit Sylvester into the Jazz-fusion category ( a la George Benson). He stopped singing in falsetto and did not appear on the album sleave of "Too hot to Sleep". Its a nice lp...however some unnecessary motown cover versions could have been left out and some dance music would fit in their better to satisfy his real fans.

Mean while in San Francisco Patrick Cowley is generating a new sound in his apartment...and theres basically a gay underground dance scene emerging ...with labels like Megatone and Moby Dick... That all materializes into huge success when "Megatron Man" - a synth instrumental- by Cowley becomes a hit in Europe. Sylvester collaborates on the Patrick Cowley synth heaven single "Do you wanna Funk " which becomes a pop hit in Europe. Sylvesters guitar player and songwritter is now part of this movement and wrote played and created a gorgeous synth-energy album called "All I need". Only the vocals where to be added...and Megatone was about to sign a female singer (?Gwen Jonae?) to sing it... but the deal fell through because she wanted a furr coat but Marty Blecman of Megatone said it was out of the budget!! So Sylvester got the chance. Despite being dance music...Its very elegant..and emotional. Theres a chant of Backing Vocalists including Martha Wash/Daryl Coley/Jeany Tracy on Backing vocals. The only thing I don't like is the inclusion of Do You Wanna Funk" cuz its not as elegant as the rest of it. Killer Synth work. Symply one of my favorite albums of all times Sylvester "All I Need" 1982 Megatone

Sylvester - All I Need (1982 LP) This is Sylvesters best record and one of my favorite records of all time. Recorded by producer Tip Wirrick. It feauters Sylvesters emotional vocals together with a string of gospel like backing singers, including Martha Wash. These vocals are placed over elegant synth driven HI-NRG. The songs are meaningful, beautiful and original. It has been re-issued on CD as "Do you wanna Funk" which was produced by Patrick Cowley and added later to the album. If you have REAL AUDIO G2 double click to hear a 15 seconds low radio quality sample of BE WITH YOU